Corking machine



Jan. 1936. \MNTENBERGER I 2,925,927

CORKING MACHINE Filed March 14, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet l P h z'72 i222 he 6 I)? ran z of' an. 7, 13. P. WINTENBERGER CORKING MACHINE Filed March '14, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jana 19%. P; WINTENBERGER I w ww CORKING MACHINE Fiied March 14, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 P h z'nzerzberger' Jan. 7, 1936. P. WINTENBERGER CORKING MACHINE Filed March 14, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WM w w QM Am .2 Z P Patented Jan. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES CORKING MACHINE Paul Wintenberger, Sable-sur-Sarthe,

. Sarthe, France Application March 14, 1933, Serial No. 660,740 In France March 14, 1932 8 Claims. (01. 226-90) The invention relates to corklng machine for bottles of the kind by which the bottle-bearer is looked as soon as the corking lever is operated.

In the devices already known the bottle-bearer has to be previously adjusted to the determined height, according to height of the bottle to be corked.

The machine according to the invention, contrary to the former devices, makes it possible to cork consecutively bottles from 22 cm. to 38 cm. i. e. from the smallest to the largest at present used without any previous adjustment of the bottle-bearer. It is comprising a frame, a bottlebearer vertically slidably mounted on the frame, a pliant cable or chain rotatably mounted on the frame and attached at one end to the bottlebearer, a locking means attached to the other end of the pliant cable or chain and adapted to lock the bottle-bearer, a handle operatively connected with the pliant cable or chain so that when the handle is operated the locking means secures the bottle-bearer in a fixed position determined by the height of the bottle.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, several embodiments of the corking-machine according to the invention:

Fig. 1 illustrates a vertical'section through theaxis of the machine, when in the resting position;

Fig. 2 illustrates a partial vertical section through the axis of the machine, when the bottle has been put into position, but before the operating lever has been moved;

Figs. 3 and- 4 which are similar to Fig. 2 illustrate the machine, first when the bottle is secured in a fixed position, then when the corking'has taken place;

Fig. 5 is a section along line V-V in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section along line VI--VI in Fig. 4;

Figs. 7 and 8 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 4 of a second'form of the machine;

Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively a horizontal section along line IX-IX, and a vertical section along line XX of Fig. 7;

Fig. '11 is a detailed view of the adjustable supporting apparatus of the bottle-bearer.

The frame l isprovided with a pedestal 2, the legs 3 of which rest upon the ground. The frame I has on its side a guide 4 in which a slide 5, fastened on the bottle-bearer 6, can move vertically; 'The bottle-bearer 6 rests constantly upon the beak I of a cam 8 which turns about a pivot 3' and is subjected to the action of a back-drawing spring Ill. To the upper part of the slide 5 is fastenedone of the ends ll of cable l2, that runs over a roller l3, while the other end is attached to a counterweight l5 moving vertically in a groove it formed in the frame. The roller I3 is attached to the cam [1. 0n the cam H, which turns about a pivot I8, is fitted a handle l3 that rests on a stop 20 as the result of the spring 2|. The cam l'l acts upon a roller 22 fitted on the pivot 23 of a compressor 24 which moves in the guides 25 formed in the walls 26. Two springs 21, (Figure 6) attached to the pin 10 28 extending from the compressor 24, and to the lugs 29 on the frame I, pull the compressor back as soon as the'handle I9 is left free. Opposite the end 3|] of the compressor 24, is member 31, in which there is a recess 32, the shape of which, like the one on the end 30 of the compressor 24, is disposed in such a way that when the cork, that is larger than the neck of the bottle, is placed between them it can be squeezed by press- ,ing upon the handle l9, and thrust down into the neck of the bottle by the plunger 33 fitted on a slide 34 which can move vertically in the guide 35 formed by the extensions 36 of the walls 26. A spring 31, adapted to raise the plunger 33 and its slide 34, is fitted around the plunger and rests against the member 3| andthe shoulder of the plunger. The lower part of the member 3| is hollowed out in-the middle 38 in order to. prevent the cork from getting caught when it is thrust down into the neck of the bottle. The corking of a bottle of any height by using this machine is done in the following manner:

The bottle rests upon the bottle-bearer 6 until its neck meets the lower part of the piece 3|. The bottle is kept in position by the action of the spring II] on the cam 8. During this movement, the slide 5 has gone down and the counterweight l5 upwards. A cork is then placed between the compressor 24 and the piece 3|; then the handle is pulled down toward the left. (Fig- 40 ures 3 and 4). During the movement of the handle, the cam ll turns about the pivot l8; the roller l3 and the counterweight I5 are lowered, and the compressor 24 approaches the member 3|. At a certain moment the counterweight strikes against the cam 8 (Fig. 3); from that ,moment on the bottle-bearer is immovable.

When continuing to pull down the handle l9 the cork is squeezed together to a diameter that has been adjusted smaller than that of the neck of the bottle; when the handle thereafter is pressed against the slide 34 of the plunger 33, the bottle is finally corked. The handle, being released, returns to its position 01 rest under the action of the spring 2|. During this movement, the cam l1 turns about its pivot l8, the roller 3 moves upwards, pulling up the pliant cable l2 that lifts the counterweight l5. The cam 8 is now free and by the pressing of the bottie on the beak I of this cam, the cam turns, and the bottle may be taken out.

In the second form of the machine, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the bottle-bearer 6 has, at its rear part, the block 39 which is guided vertically by ribs 40 situated on the forward part of the sides ,of the frame I, the rear face 4|, of the block 39 being inclined. Against this face 4| rests the forward face 42 of the wedge 43, preferably hollowed out, which carries two tenons 44, each of which can move in the guide slots 45 in the sides of the frame I and slightly inclined towards the front. This wedge has a rear face 46 against which can rest the inclined face 41 of a counterweight 48, which is guided vertically by ribs 49, situated on the rear part of the sides of the frame I. To the block 39 of the bottle-bearer 6 is fixed one of the ends of a sprocket chain 50, working over a sprocket wheel placed under a cam 52 preferably by the intermediary of a frame 53. The other end of the sprocket chain is attached to the counterweight 48 by means of a bolt 54 with a threaded shank 55 and two lock-nuts 56 and 51. This method of attaching the chain 50 allows it to be held at the desired tension. Above the sprocket wheel 5| is placed a check 58, which prevents the chain 50 from escaping from the teeth of the sprocket wheel 5|. As in the first form of the machine, the cam 52 is prolonged by the lever I9, turning about the pivot l8 and, when not in use, rests upon the stop 20, under the influence of spring 2|. In each side of the frame I is a vertical slot 59 (Figure in which the pin 6!] slides receiving its vertical movement from the slot 6|, in the cam 52 when the cam is rotated. In the slot 6| there moves also a pin 62 which is mounted between the two walls 63 (Figure 6) of the compressor 24, and which is constantly guided by the tenons 64 which move to and fro in the slots 65 in the sides of the frame I (Figures 6 and 10). The lower part of the slot 6| controls the sprocket wheel 5| in its vertical movement through the intermediary of the pin 60 and of the frame 53. The movement of the pin terminates in the slots 59 in the sides of the frame I. A screw 66 which comes to rest against the extension 61 of the member 3| permits the insertion of the cork to be regulated to any desired depth. One of the sides of the frame I carries three holes 68, 69 and 10 (Figure 11), disposed around the arc of a circle whose center is the fixed axis 1| furnished with the shoulder 12. A ring 13 turns about the axis 1| and carries a peg 14, the peg being so arranged that it may be pushed at will into any one of the holes 68, 69 and 10. Between the shoulder 12 and the ring 13 is placed a spring which tends to keep the peg 14 forced in to the fullest extent. The holes 68 and 10 completely pierce the side of the frame I, permitting the peg I4 to pass through sufiiciently to limit the movement of the bottle-bearer. The hole 69, which does not traverse the side of the frame I, prevents the action of the peg 14, and, in this position permits the successive corking of every type of bottle.

The corking of a bottle of any height with a machine embodying this second form of machine is accomplished as follows. The peg 14 is introduced into the hole 69; then the bottle is placed on the bottle-bearer 6 by pressing downwards until the neck is lodged in the hollow 38.

At this moment the forward face 42 of the wedge 43 comes into contact with the rear face 4| of the block 39 of the bottle-bearer 6. By lowering the handle IS, the sprocket Wheel 5| is lowered, as is also the counterweight 48, which comes 5 to rest between the rear face 46 of the wedge 43 and the ribs 49 of the frame I. The bottlebearer 6 is thus secured in a fixed position, the bottle can descend no further and the cork is compressed between the member 3| and the ex- 10 tremity 30 of the compressor 24 which is moved forward by the action of the cam 52. When the handle I9 is depressed to the point where the screw 66 comes into contact with the extension 61 of the member 3| (Fig. 8), the cork will have 15 been forced into the neck to the required depth, according to the position which has been given beforehand to the regulating screw 66. When the handle I 9 is released, the cam 52 rotates about the pivot l8 under the action of the spring 2|, until it comes to rest against the stop 20; at the same time the sprocket wheel 5| rises again, pulls up the chain 50, and raises the counterweight 48. The wedge 43, which is not held any longer by the counterweight 48, leaves the bottle-bearer free to its vertical movement, thus permitting the withdrawal of the bottle.

When it is a matter of successively corking bottles of the same size the peg I4 is introduced into the hole 68; or 10 depending on the size of the 80 bottle.

The advantages of this supplementary apparatus lies in the fact that it reduces sensibly the movement of the bottle-bearer, when it is a question of corking bottles of the same size.

The chief advantages of the machine according to the invention are the following:

It permits effective wedging at a constant angle, whatever the height of the bottles may be;

The wedging angle is slight, thus permitting the immediate securing of the bottle-bearer in a fixed position;

The wedging is perfect, even if the contacting surfaces are greasy, regardless of the working condition of the machine; f

This system of wedging permits the corking of bottles of all dimensions.

The principle advantage of the chain, serving to link the bottle-bearer to the counterweight,

rests in the fact that it has no tendency to stretch or to twist, as has a cable after a certain amount of use.

Having now particularly described and ascert'ained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. A corking machine for bottles comprising a frame, a bottle-bearer slidably mounted vertically on the frame, a flexible element movable over said frame and attached at one end to the bottlebearer, a locking means attached to the other end of the flexible element and adapted to lock the bottle-bearer, a handle operatively connected with the flexible element so that when the handle is operated the locking means secures the bottlebearer in a fixed position determined by the height of the bottle.

2. A corking machine for bottles comprising a frame, a bottle-bearer slidably mounted vertically on the frame, a flexible element movable 70 over said frame and attached at one end to the bottle-bearer, a locking means attached to the other end of the flexible element and adapted to lock the bottle-bearer, corking means mounted on the frame for setting a cork in position relative i to the neck of the bottle to be corked and for pushing the cork into the neck of the bottle, including a handle operatively connected with the locking means and the corking means so that when the handle is operated the locking means are first actuated and by the further operation of the handle the corking means are operated.

3. A corking machine for bottles comprising a frame, a bottle-bearer slidably mounted vertically on the frame, a flexible element movable over said frame and attached to one end to the bottle-bearer, a cam mounted on the frame for supporting the bottle-bearer, a counterweight attached to the other end of the flexible element and adapted to act on the cam, a handle operatively connected with the counterweight so that when the handle is operated the counterweight holds the cam in a fixed position and thereby secures the bottle-bearer in a fixed position determined by the height of the bottle.

i. A corking machine for bottles comprising a frame, a bottle-bearer slidably mounted vertically on the frame, a flexible element movable over said frame and attached at one end to the bottle-bearer, a cam mounted on the frame for supporting the bottle-bearer, a counterweight attached to the other end of the flexible element and adapted to act on the cam, a handle operatively connected with the counterweight and the corking means, so that when the handle is operated the counterweight holds first the cam in a fixed position and thereby secures the bottlebearer in a fixed position determined by the height of the bottle and by the further operation of the handle, the corking means are operated.

5. A corking machine for bottles comprising a frame, a bottle-bearer vertically and slidably mounted on the frame, having an inclined face at its rear part, a flexible element movable over said frame and attached at one end to the bottlebearer, a wedge shaped member slidably mounted on the frame and adapted to act on the inclined face of the bottle-bearer, a counterweight attached to the other end of the flexible element adapted to act on the wedge-shaped member, a handle operatively connected to the counter- 5 weight and the bottle-bearer so that when the handle is moved the counterweight acts on the wedge shaped member so as to secure the bottlebearer in a fixed position determined by the height of the bottle,

6. A corking machine for bottles comprising a frame, a bottle-bearer vertically and slidably mounted on the frame, having an inclined face at its rear part, a flexible element movable over said frame and attached at one end to the bottle- 15 bearer, a wedge shaped member slidably mounted on the frame and adapted to act on the inclined face of the bottle-bearer, a counterweight attached to the other end of the flexible element adapted to act on the wedge shaped member, cork- 20 ing means mounted on the frame for setting a cork in position relative to the neck of the bottle to be corked and for pushing the cork into the neck of the bottle, a handle operatively connected to the counterweight and the bottlebearer so that when the handle is moved the counterweight acts on the wedge shaped member so as to secure the bottle-bearer in a fixed position determined by the height of the bottle, and, by the further operation hf the handle, the corking means are operated.

7. A corking machine as claimed in claim 2 comprising a cam secured to the handle for actuating the locking means and the corking means.

8. A corking machine as claimed in claim 1 comprising displaceable means mounted on the frame for limiting the movement of the bottlebearer for use when corking bottles of the same height.

40 P. WINTENBERGER. 

